Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2021 Apr 8:ATVBAHA121314689. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau (D.Y., Y.Z.Z.).

Objective: Smyd3 (SET and MYND domain-containing protein 3) is an H3K4 (histone H3 lysine 4) dimethyltransferase and trimethyltransferase that activates the transcription of oncogenes and cell cycle genes in human cancer cells. We discovered its overexpression in proliferative vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, whether Smyd3 plays a role in vascular remodeling remains unanswered. Read More

IMA Fungus 2021 Apr 7;12(1). Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins of Fujian Province, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Education Ministry, and College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.

Aspergillus flavus is a common saprophytic filamentous fungus that produces the highly toxic natural compound aflatoxin during its growth process. Synthesis of the aflatoxins, which can contaminate food crops causing huge losses to the agricultural economy, is often regulated by epigenetic modification, such as the histone acetyltransferase. In this study, we used Aspergillus flavus as an experimental model to construct the acetyltransferase gene rtt109 knockout strain (△rtt109) and its complementary strain (△rtt109·com) by homologous recombination. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2021 18;9:634902. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.

The therapeutic approach of liver fibrosis is still an unsolved clinical problem worldwide. Notably, the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the liver is mediated by the production of cytokines and growth factors, such as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Ring finger protein 2 (RNF2) was identified as the catalytic subunit of polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), mediating the monoubiquitination of histone H2A. Read More

Antioxidants (Basel) 2021 Mar 29;10(4). Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada.

The field of cardiovascular fetal programming has emphasized the importance of the uterine environment on postnatal cardiovascular health. Studies have linked increased fetal glucocorticoid exposure, either from exogenous sources (such as dexamethasone (Dex) injections), or from maternal stress, to the development of adult cardiovascular pathologies. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, alterations in gene expression driven by altered oxidative stress and epigenetic pathways are implicated in glucocorticoid-mediated cardiovascular programming. Read More

Antioxidants (Basel) 2021 Mar 17;10(3). Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Departments of Pharmacology & Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.

() infection increases reactive oxygen species (ROS), and earlier, we have shown a role for NADPH oxidase-derived ROS in -mediated lung inflammation and injury. Here, we show a role for the lung epithelial cell (LEpC) NOX4 in -mediated chromatin remodeling and lung inflammation. Intratracheal administration of to Nox4 mice for 24 h caused lung inflammatory injury; however, epithelial cell-deleted Nox4 mice exhibited reduced lung inflammatory injury, oxidative stress, secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and decreased histone acetylation. Read More

Plant Cell 2020 Dec 7. Epub 2020 Dec 7.

Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.

Ethylene is an important phytohormone with pleotropic roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2) mediates the transduction of the ethylene signal from the endoplasmic reticulum membrane to the nucleus, where its C-terminus (EIN2-C) regulates histone acetylation to mediate transcriptional regulation by EIN3. However, no direct interaction between EIN2-C and EIN3 has been detected. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2021 Mar 31. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Hypobaric hypoxia at higher altitudes usually impairs cognitive function. Previous studies suggested that epigenetic modifications are the culprits for this condition. Here, we set out to determine how hypobaric hypoxia mediates epigenetic modifications and how this condition worsens neurodegeneration and memory loss in rats. Read More

Development 2021 Mar 25. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Dr., Madison, Wisconsin 57306, USA

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a ubiquitous transcription factor and mammalian Polycomb Group Protein (PcG) with important functions for regulating lymphocyte development and stem cell self-renewal. YY1 mediates stable PcG-dependent transcriptional repression via recruitment of PcG proteins that result in histone modifications. Many questions remain unanswered regarding how cell- and tissue-specificity is achieved by PcG proteins. Read More

J Biol Chem 2021 Mar 22:100578. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, 67084 Strasbourg, France. Electronic address:

In eukaryotes, various alternative translation initiation mechanisms have been unveiled for the translation of specific mRNAs. Some do not conform to the conventional scanning-initiation model. Translation initiation of histone H4 mRNA combines both canonical (cap-dependent) and viral initiation strategies (no-scanning, internal recruitment of initiation factors). Read More

Chromosoma 2021 Mar 21. Epub 2021 Mar 21.

Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, King 3076, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA.

Silencing most gene expression from all but one X chromosome in female mammals provides a means to overcome X-linked gene expression imbalances with males. Central to establishing gene silencing on the inactivated X chromosome are the actions of the long non-coding RNA XIST that triggers the repackaging of the chosen X into facultative heterochromatin. While understanding the mechanisms through which XIST expression is regulated and mediates its affects has been a major focus of research since its discovery, less is known about the role XIST plays in maintaining chromatin at the human inactive X chromosome (Xi). Read More

Cell Commun Signal 2021 Mar 18;19(1):35. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, People's Republic of China.

Background: The mechanism underlying endothelial dysfunction leading to cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains unclear. Here, we show that inhibition of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) reduced inflammation and oxidative stress by regulating nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which mediates the expression of anti-inflammatory- and pro-survival-related genes in the vascular endothelium, thereby improving endothelial function.

Methods: Nrf2 knockout (Nrf2 KO) C57BL/6 background mice, diabetic db/db mice, and control db/m mice were used to investigate the relationship between HDAC3 and Nrf2 in the endothelium in vivo. Read More

Cell 2021 04 17;184(7):1790-1803.e17. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address:

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) XIST establishes X chromosome inactivation (XCI) in female cells in early development and thereafter is thought to be largely dispensable. Here, we show XIST is continually required in adult human B cells to silence a subset of X-linked immune genes such as TLR7. XIST-dependent genes lack promoter DNA methylation and require continual XIST-dependent histone deacetylation. Read More

Front Oncol 2020 25;10:608393. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Enhancer of zester homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone methyl transferase that mediates H3K27me3 through polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and promotes malignant proliferation. However, the underlying mechanism of maintaining high EZH2 expression remains elusive. Here we showed that microRNA(miRNA) inhibited EZH2 by binding to the 3'-UTR of EZH2 mRNA; conversely, EZH2 can inhibit miRNA expression. Read More

J Biol Chem 2021 Mar 10:100533. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

MRC Laboratory Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK; UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK. Electronic address:

Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibits gene expression homeostasis, which is defined as the buffering of transcription levels against changes in DNA copy number during the S phase of the cell cycle. It has been suggested that S. cerevisiae employs an active mechanism to maintain gene expression homeostasis through Rtt109-Asf1-dependent acetylation of histone H3 on lysine 56 (H3K56). Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Mar 12;11(1):5838. Epub 2021 Mar 12.

Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.

Chemotherapy resistance is the main impediment in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Despite rapid advances, the various mechanisms inducing resistance development remain to be defined in detail. Here we report that loss-of-function mutations (LOF) in the histone methyltransferase EZH2 have the potential to confer resistance against the chemotherapeutic agent cytarabine. Read More

Clin Transl Immunology 2021 18;10(2):e1253. Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Department of Internal Medicine Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI) Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The Netherlands.

Objectives: Histone methyltransferase G9a, also known as Euchromatic Histone Lysine Methyltransferase 2 (EHMT2), mediates H3K9 methylation which is associated with transcriptional repression. It possesses immunomodulatory effects and is overexpressed in multiple types of cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of G9a in the induction of trained immunity, a innate immune memory, and its effects in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients treated with intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Read More

Genetics 2021 Mar 8. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Department of Biology, New York University, 1009 Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY, USA.

Heterochromatin, a transcriptionally silenced chromatin domain, is important for genome stability and gene expression. Histone 3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) and histone hypoacetylation are conserved epigenetic hallmarks of heterochromatin. In fission yeast, RNA interference (RNAi) plays a key role in H3K9 methylation and heterochromatin silencing. Read More

Circulation 2021 Mar 8;143(10):1066-1069. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Nucleic Acids Res 2021 Mar 1. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, People's Republic of China.

Molecular bases of eukaryotic circadian clocks mainly rely on transcriptional-translational feedback loops (TTFLs), while epigenetic codes also play critical roles in fine-tuning circadian rhythms. However, unlike histone modification codes that play extensive and well-known roles in the regulation of circadian clocks, whether DNA methylation (5mC) can affect the circadian clock, and the associated underlying molecular mechanisms, remains largely unexplored in many organisms. Here we demonstrate that global genome DNA hypomethylation can significantly lengthen the circadian period of Arabidopsis. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 Feb 23;22(4). Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 8, 60-806 Poznan, Poland.

Krüppel-associated box zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs) constitute the largest family of transcriptional factors exerting co-repressor functions in mammalian cells. In general, KRAB-ZFPs have a dual structure. They may bind to specific DNA sequences via zinc finger motifs and recruit a repressive complex through the KRAB domain. Read More

Virol J 2021 Mar 1;18(1):48. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Department of Structural Biology and Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Biomedical Science Tower 3, RM 1055, 3501 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA.

Background: Vpr is a virion-associated protein that is encoded by lentiviruses and serves to counteract intrinsic immunity factors that restrict infection. HIV-1 Vpr mediates proteasome-dependent degradation of several DNA repair/modification proteins. Mechanistically, Vpr directly recruits cellular targets onto DCAF1, a substrate receptor of Cullin 4 RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) for poly-ubiquitination. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2021 10;9:657122. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020. Read More

Nucleic Acids Res 2021 03;49(5):2569-2582

Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

During oogenesis, oocytes gain competence and subsequently undergo meiotic maturation and prepare for embryonic development; trimethylated histone H3 on lysine-4 (H3K4me3) mediates a wide range of nuclear events during these processes. Oocyte-specific knockout of CxxC-finger protein 1 (CXXC1, also known as CFP1) impairs H3K4me3 accumulation and causes changes in chromatin configurations. This study investigated the changes in genomic H3K4me3 landscapes in oocytes with Cxxc1 knockout and the effects on other epigenetic factors such as the DNA methylation, H3K27me3, H2AK119ub1 and H3K36me3. Read More

J Immunol 2021 Apr 22;206(7):1528-1539. Epub 2021 Feb 22.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.

Acquired immune reaction is initiated by dendritic cells (DCs), which present Ags to a few naive Ag-specific T cells. Deregulation of gene expression in DCs may alter the outcome of the immune response toward immunodeficiency and/or autoimmune diseases. Expression of TRIM28, a nuclear protein that mediates gene silencing through heterochromatin, decreased in DCs from old mice, suggesting alteration of gene regulation. Read More

Mol Cell 2021 03 18;81(6):1216-1230.e9. Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, China. Electronic address:

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-mediated adaptive resistance is one major barrier to improving immunotherapy in solid tumors. However, the mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we report that IFN-γ promotes nuclear translocation and phase separation of YAP after anti-PD-1 therapy in tumor cells. Read More

Cancer Res 2021 Feb 18. Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shandong University

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) contains a subset of cancer stem cells (CSC) that cause tumor recurrence, metastasis, and chemical resistance. Histone deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) mediates diverse immune functions and metabolism, yet little is known about its role in HCC CSCs. In this study, we report that HDAC11 is highly expressed in HCC and is closely related to disease prognosis. Read More

J Immunother Cancer 2021 Feb;9(2)

Key Laboratory of Non-coding RNA Transformation Research of Anhui Higher Education Institution (Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, China

Background: The activation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) facilitates the progression of gastric cancer (GC). Cell metabolism reprogramming has been shown to play a vital role in the polarization of TAMs. However, the role of methionine metabolism in function of TAMs remains to be explored. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2021 28;9:650002. Epub 2021 Jan 28.

Institute of Biomedical Research, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020. Read More

Am J Cancer Res 2021 1;11(2):416-440. Epub 2021 Feb 1.

Department of General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai 200080, China.

YEATS domain-containing protein 4 (YEATS4) is implicated in several oncogenic signaling pathways, and its expression is involved in various types of cancer; regardless, the pathophysiologic effects of YEATS4 on breast cancer remain unclear. This study finds that YEATS4 is increasingly expressed with breast cancer progression, and its expression is related to poor outcome and distant metastasis. YEATS4 overexpression in breast cancer cells strengthens their malignant characteristics and , particularly inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and consequently, metastatic capability in breast cancer cells. Read More

Genes Genomics 2021 Apr 8;43(4):333-342. Epub 2021 Feb 8.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Korea.

Background: Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) mediates protein modifications by crosslinking or by incorporating polyamine in response to oxidative or DNA-damaging stress, thereby regulating apoptosis, extracellular matrix formation, and inflammation. The regulation of transcriptional activity by TG2-mediated histone serotonylation or by Sp1 crosslinking may also contribute to cellular stress responses.

Objective: In this study, we attempted to identify TG2-interacting proteins to better understand the role of TG2 in transcriptional regulation. Read More